Air-to-ground connectivity specialist SmartSky said sales and installation partner Davinci Jets Services has completed a first-article installation of the SmartSky Lite system on a Beechcraft King Air 350. The expected FAA supplemental type certification would mean the FAA certified 18 additional King Air models for SmartSky installations, representing nearly 2,000 in-service tails.
The first-article King Air previously used the Gogo Avance L3 before its replacement with the SmartSky Lite system.
This project marks the third SmartSky STC installation by Davinci Jets Services, a full-service MRO operated by North Carolina-based aircraft management firm Davinci Jets. Davinci recently completed first-of-type installations of a SmartSky Flagship system on a Cessna Citation Latitude and SmartSky Lite on a Pilatus PC-12. It also has begun work on installing a SmartSky Lite system on a first-of-type Citation CJ4.
"An increasing number of our customers are asking for SmartSky because of the unmatched capability of its connectivity,’” said Davinci Jets CEO Eric Legvold. “What’s different and so much easier about SmartSky is there is no pre-set limit to the number of devices connected, unlike the legacy ATG systems. We can have watches, cellphones, and computers connected as if you were in your office. Plus, customers can use their cellphones to make calls without any special app and stream on any device, all without paying additional fees or subscriptions.”